Shin Hye had strange dreams that night, and even weirder ones during classes the next day.  So much had happened in such a short time, and she knew her lonely life would never be the same.  Thoughts of Yong Hwa and her other half were spinning round and round in her head, confusing her.

As for her heart, it was as confused as her mind was.

By the end of the day, she had made some sort of decision.  Nervous, she counted her steps over to the train station, and paused outside the decorated window of Debauve and Gallais.  Biting the last of her thumbnail off, she turned the rusty handle of the door to go inside.

The little bell above the door rang, announcing her arrival to the witch, and Shin Hye approached the woman behind the counter with a pounding heart.

The witch said nothing.  She just raised her eyebrows, as if she’d been expecting her to come all along.

Shin Hye swallowed.  “J-jeogiyo (Excuse me).  About my other half...c-can I please change my mind?” she said, her eyes lowered to the wooden duck on the counter.  “You see, I met a man yesterday, and I think he might be my other half.”

The witch inhaled and exhaled though her nose like a long-suffering parent.  “It’s too late.  Your other half has already been created.”  She pointed to a dark chocolate heart on a cooling tray behind her.  “No wonder he nearly broke in half last night.”

Shin Hye’s heart and gaze reached out to the rich chocolate.  “J..joesonghaeyo...  I-Is he okay?”

The witch frowned.  “I had to play music for him so that his heart wouldn’t break.  You must love and care for only him, or he will die.”

“Die?”  Shin Hye repeated.  The words of the contract had finally sunk in.

“Yes, he could die, and you will truly be alone in this world.  Come back tomorrow.  He will be ready by then.”

Shocked, Shin Hye nodded and retreated from the shop without another word.  On the platform, she didn’t notice the boy standing in her path until it was too late.

“Ooof!”  Shin Hye bounced back, and recognised the gentle brown eyes, the roman nose and the boyish smile.

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” Yong Hwa said.  His voice was warm and inviting.

It took all of Shin Hye’s willpower to nod at him formally, and walk around his still form as if he was only a distant friend; as if she had something better to do.  It hurt badly, and a horrible feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she did it.

“Where are you going, Shin Hye-yah?” he asked, taking one of her hands.

She closed her eyes for a split second and then turned to face him.  “Y-yah.  Who said you could call me that?”

Their eyes met, and he made her feel so warm and bubbly that she had to look away.

“Shin Hye-yah,” he said more gently, making her heart melt.  She didn’t even fight him when he took her other hand.  She looked down at their threaded fingers, and wished she could never let him go.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, dejected.  “I’ve been unfair.  You need to delete my number off your phone. I-I already have s-someone, and he will die if I’m unfaithful to him.”

Yong Hwa’s eyes grew sad, and his face went pale.  After a long moment, he let go of her hands.

“Ah, geurae,” he said, clearing his throat.  “Well... I guess we only met yesterday.  It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”

His words stung, and Shin Hye averted her eyes so that he wouldn’t see her tear up.

The black and silver train whistled as it pulled into the station, drawing their attention to its arrival.  Not knowing what to do, she avoided looking at him until she got through the doors of a carriage.  It wasn’t until she had placed one shoe on the metal threshold that she snuck a glance back.

To her surprise, Yong Hwa was wavering on the spot like a reed in the wind.  He looked like he was about to faint.

“Yong Hwa-ssi!”  She dropped her bag, hurried back onto the platform, and steadied him with one hand.  “Are you feeling unwell?”

He regained his footing and shrugged.  “I think I’m just tired.  I was sick last night.  I’ll be fine once I get home.”

“Are you sure?  At least let me help you onto the train,” she said.  “I can sit with you as a friend.”  She was sure that she could do that without hurting her other half.

Yonghwa frowned as they walked on the train together.  “Friends...”

They sat down in opposing seats, and stared at each other as the train started rocking its way down the tracks.

“Who is he?” asked Yong Hwa, with sudden bluntness.

Shin Hye blushed.

He looked out of the window.  “Mianhae.  I just want to know who the hell this guy is.”

“I-he’s my other half,” mumbled Shin Hye.  “I’m responsible for him now.”

“I hate him for taking you from me,” he said, leaning his head on the window.

“Yong Hwa-ssi.”  She shifted forward in her seat.  “If things weren’t... If I hadn’t-”

His face went as pale as milk, and he closed his eyes.

She stopped trying to comfort him.  “Do you have anyone to look after you when you get home?” she asked.  He looked really sick, and it worried her.

“No,” he answered shortly, rubbing his head with his hand.  The colour in his lips faded before her eyes.

She jumped forward to offer her aid, but held her tongue when she remembered what the witch had said.

“You don’t have anyone?” she said.  “Not even a landlady?”

He snorted.  “My landlord doesn’t live in the same building.  He’s got expensive taste, that guy.”

“Ah.”  She rubbed behind her ear, and wondered what to do.

When the train pulled into Yonghwa’s station, she could tell that he struggled to get to his feet.

Without thinking, she got to her feet as well.  “You’re not well.”

“No.”  He steadied himself using the window pane.  “Tch.  I guess I’m not.  Shin Hye-ssi,  I know this is a bit much to ask, but can you walk home with me?  You know, just in case?”

She bit her lip and nodded.  “Okay.  A friend can do that.”

Together they stepped out of the carriage doors and onto the platform.  As they walked home, he seemed to get worse, and Shin Hye grew more and more worried for him.  The colour was completely gone from his face, and he stumbled in some parts where the path was uneven.

At one point, when he doubled over in pain, Shin Hye couldn’t take it anymore.

“Here.”  She grabbed his arm, and tried to help him to his feet.  “I should call us a cab.  You look really sick.”

His fringe swished from side to side as he shook his head.  “No.  I’m okay, but...can I please borrow your shoulder until we get to the apartment?  I’m sorry to ask you to do this.”

“No.”  She draped his arm on her shoulder and used her strength to lever him upright.  “Don’t apologise.  Friends do this for each other, don’t they?  Lean on me.”

By the time they reached a musty old building, and climbed the wooden stairs to his apartment door, he was much worse.  Shin Hye guessed that he might have a fever, but she wasn’t sure.  His hands were shaking as he tried to get out his keys.

She reached out to help him push the cut metal in the door, but then stopped herself.  Her heart was crying out to take care of him and to love him, but she was afraid that her other half would die of a broken heart if she continued like this.

The door creaked open, and Yong Hwa paused to look at her with tired eyes.  “T-thanks for getting me home.  C-could you stay for half an hour?  I-I wouldn’t normally ask, but I don’t have anyone to call.”

Shin Hye opened and closed .

“It’s just until I can take some pain killers.  I w-won’t bite.  If you don’t believe me, we can leave the front door open.”

Shin Hye, who had never trusted anyone easily, believed deep down that he was being sincere.

She still shook her head.  Her heart wanted to be with him too much.

“Ten minutes?” he begged.  His brown eyes looked bigger because he was so pale.  “I think it’s just a fever, but I want to make sure.”

She took a wary step back from the door.

He sighed, and put on a brave face.  “Arasseo.  Thanks for your help.”

The door closed without another look between them.

Unable to make herself leave, Shin Hye pressed her ear to the yellow wooden door, worried that he would be too sick to get the medicine.  She could make out the noise of footsteps, and bit her lip when she heard that they were uneven.

Suddenly, she heard a resounding ‘thump’.  It was the sound of a body hitting the floor, she was sure of it.

“Yong Hwa?” she called out.  Her hand twisted the door handle, but it was locked.  She knocked.  “Yong Hwa!”  Shin Hye thumped on the wood harder, bruising her knuckles.  “Yong Hwa!”

No one answered.

Scared that he was dying, she scanned the old building for something to break the door down and spotted a fire extinguisher.  She has halfway ripping the heavy red metal tank off the wall, when she remembered her other half.

“No!”  She clapped her hands over , wondering if she’d already killed him.  “No.  I can’t!”

She screamed in frustration, and her voice echoed down the halls, through the rat-infested foundations of the building, and into the sewers beneath the city.

Keeping her eyes trained on the door, Shin Hye pulled out her phone and dialled 999.  The tears on her cheeks made the screen stick to her face, and it peeled off like sticky tape when she’d finished the call.

Tears continued to blur her vision as she forced herself to descend the wooden stairs to the streets.  Tears for Yong Hwa and her other half would not stop falling as she went to catch the next train home.  Prayers for their safety escaped her lips like a spell.

She prayed that she hadn’t killed them both.